


Varik (Orc)

by TheTravelerWrites



Series: Monster Lovers: Willowridge [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Arson, Attempted Abduction, Blood, Cattle Ranch, Centaurs, Epilepsy, Exophilia, F/M, Fire, Gun Violence, Guns, Hospitals, Human/Monster Romance, Human/Orc - Freeform, Limited Mobility of the Hands, Needles, Orc, Reader Insert, Reader-Insert, Seizures, Terato, Teratophilia, Trolls, Violence, descriptions of violence, firearms, human/monster, shooting death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-21 01:30:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14905914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTravelerWrites/pseuds/TheTravelerWrites
Summary: With the arsonist and serial killer Russel free from prison and stalking Elena, Varik takes her somewhere he knows she'll be safe: to his mother.





	1. Chapter 1

She’d been coming in for months now like clockwork, every Wednesday morning at eleven o’clock. She gave a pint of blood, ate some cookies, sat for the appropriate amount of time, and left. She was diligent and never missed an appointment.

You were a phlebotomist and lab tech working in a small hospital in a small town. Your clinic didn’t need blood all that often, but it was good to have some on hand, so you accepted donations whenever they were offered.

It was an understatement to say that an Orc working in the medical field was odd, and you knew your height and appearance elicited quite a lot of stares. You had even clipped and filed down your tusks in an effort to appear less threatening, but it didn’t seem to help. People were still leery of you. 

There were a few people who had refused to let you draw from them, insisting you couldn’t possibly be able to do it without hurting them with your large hands and immense size. Your coworker, Tenna, a pretty elf who no one complained about, even though they were far less experienced than you, would grimace at you in sympathy before taking over.

It annoyed you a little, but you always knew that this would happen when you decided to pursue medicine. You only knew of one other Orc in the field, and he was an orderly.

She was never scared of you, though. From the look in her eye, you suspected she wasn’t scared of anything, despite being a tiny wisp of a thing. During her first visit, you understood why.

You called her name, and she stood up and followed you into the small room from the waiting area and sat down in the special chair built to allow a better angle for the needles. She didn’t display the same shock or wariness that others had, merely smiled at you in a weary sort of way and greeted you with a friendly hello.

You asked her all the necessary questions, taking a brief glimpse down at her chart to make sure her blood was safe to use and glancing over the rest, before getting the tourniquet and butterfly needle ready. Then you asked her to roll up her sleeve for you as you tugged on your gloves, and she did so, using the first two fingers to pinch the fabric and yank it back. And then you saw them. Her hands.

They were gnarled and balled up into tight fists, the back two fingers on both hands completely shriveled and immobile. The index and middle finger seemed to have limited mobility but couldn’t fully extend. The thumb could move side to side and press down, but couldn’t pull backward. Both hands had matching burns on the palms and around the wrist, and you wonder to yourself what could have cause such an injury. You didn’t ask, though. It was none of your business.

You realized you were staring and apologized.

“It’s alright,” she said wearily. “It happens all the time.”

You blushed with embarrassment and got back to work, though you dimly realized that must be why she wore sleeves so long, so that they covered her twisted fists, safe from prying eyes.

After you finished the draw, you started to ask her to sign the release form but faltered, looking at her hands again.

“I’ll take that,” She said, reaching her ruined hands out for the clipboard. You handed it to her gently and she pinned it between both wrists, laying it in her lap. You watched her nervously, worried the action might be painful.

Carefully balancing the clipboard on her knee, she held the pen between her curled front fingers, the thumb applying a slight pressure for steadiness, and signed her name. It was even decently legible. You were more than a little impressed she was capable of writing with hands so badly damaged.

While she was signing, her hair parted and you noticed scars on her neck, extending down under her shirt, and a few on her face, too, under her ear, hidden behind her longish bangs. Part of you wondered how many scars the poor thing had, and how far down they went. You had to admit that you were now incredibly curious as to what happened to this woman, but you forced it out of your mind. You didn’t want to scare off a generous donor by being inappropriate and unprofessional.

She smiled as she handed the clipboard back to you.

“Thank you,” She said. “You’re much better than a lot of the other techs I’ve been to. Most of them have to stab me over and over to find a vein. I barely feel the needle when you do it.”

You smiled back. “I try,” You said. “To be honest, though, your veins are pretty shot. You might want to wait a while before donating again.”

She shook her head. “I made a promise,” is all she said before she took a bag of cookies, offered to donors to raise their blood sugar to prevent fainting, and bid you farewell.

It was a brief encounter, lasting no longer than ten minutes, but it stuck with you. Not because of her hands, but because of her demeanor. She was sweet and friendly, and most of all, she wasn’t scared of you or shocked to see you in any way. That alone was rare, but she actually complimented you on a job well done. No patient had done that in the five years you’d been working in that lab.

It brought a smile to your face, even after she was gone. Everyone wants to be told they’re doing a good job, but before that day, the only ones who ever said so were your superiors, and it hadn’t been often.

You had told her not to donate for a while so her veins could heal, and it was good advice, but you were kind of hoping you’d see her again.

Sure enough, she came back a week later for another donation.

“At this rate, we’ll have an overstock,” You said.

“That’s fine with me,” She said, looking up and down her arms to locate a viable vein before you’d even put on your gloves. Clearly she had been at this for a long time. “I’d much rather you had more than you need than not enough. After all, you can just throw the excess away, but if someone comes in and needs six pints of blood and you don’t have it, that person dies, don’t they?”

You felt a soft, lopsided smile on your face. “You know what? You’re right. I hope whoever gets this feels the kindness behind it.”

She smiled in return, but suddenly her face went slack and her eyes became unfocused. She blinked rapidly, the two working fingers on both hands picking at the hem of her shirt. She made a soft grunting noise.

“Hey. Hey, hey,” You said gently, putting a large hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

After a few seconds, she blinked hard and shook her head, her hands stilling in her lap.

“Yes. Yes, sorry,” She said, using her wrist to rub her eyes. “Sorry. Absence seizure. Nothing to worry about.”

You double checked her chart, and sure enough, the box for “epilepsy” was checked. Well, it didn’t preclude her from donating. You looked back up at her in concern. “Are you okay to continue or do you want to stop?”

“No, I’m okay,” She said, shaking her head resolutely. “It’s just a tiny one; I get them all the time. I take anti-convulsants so don’t have many big ones, fortunately. I’m good.”

“If you’re sure,” You said, and she nods. At her insistence, you line up the needle.

The next Wednesday she comes in, all smiles and greeting you by name, so you feel comfortable doing the same. She sits obediently for the stick, barely flinching. It seemed the cookies weren’t enough to get her sugar back up, however, because when you went to lunch, you found her sitting in the cafeteria, eating a bowl of fruit with a fork delicately pinched between her functioning fingers, using the thumb for stabilization.

Again, you marveled at the deftness in those digits, despite their limited dexterity. The human ability to adapt was something you had always admired about their kind, even if there was little else over which to be envious.

That’s when you noticed a table of people staring at her, talking in each other’s ear with cupped hands and laughing, and that she was purposefully not looking up from her food. You rounded a deli counter and walked into the direct line of vision of the rude gawkers, scowling at them blackly. They went silent at the sight of you and abruptly jumped up and fled. You then went to her table and asked if you could take a seat. She smiled when she said yes.

“Thanks,” You said, sitting your sandwich and soda down on the table. The regular chairs in the cafeteria wouldn’t hold you, so you actually took a bench from the wall and used that instead.

“So,” You asked, biting into your sandwich. “What do you do when you’re not donating?”

“Oh, I’m a translator for accounting firms that deal with overseas clients. I’m contracted by companies to mediate between clients with language barriers. It pays pretty good and it’s not overly taxing. I also translate documents that come in from from foreign agencies out of and into their native languages and send copies to each party involved. That’s a work from home job, which I need with my condition,”

“The epilepsy?” You asked.

She side-smiled. “Yeah. You know, you’re the first person who said ‘epilepsy’ and not ‘scars.’”

“Why would having scars prevent you from being able to work in public?”

She snorted delicately. “It doesn’t, but you would be surprised how many people think it does.”

“Actually, I wouldn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know how many people think I shouldn’t be in the medical field because I’m an Orc?”

“Why does that matter?”

“Because who wants to get their diagnosis from a giant, angry-faced Orc? Who even makes doctor’s coats in our size? Even if they did, it would be like wearing a costume. No one takes us seriously unless were in the military or on the police force. Otherwise the only thing we’re good for is construction or farming or some other labor intensive job. Heaven forbid we have higher aspirations.”

You hadn’t meant to lay all of that on her, but after years of keeping those thoughts in your head, they just sort of poured out of you unbidden. She looked up at you  with empathy.

“I get it,” She said. “No one thinks I’m capable of doing anything with these.” She held up her hands and waved them a little. “When I went to college, people were shocked that I could hold even a pen, let alone type on a computer. Which I can do, it just takes me a little longer. A lot of them automatically assumed I must also be mentally challenged, too, which was absolutely infuriating. I just wanted to learn and get a good job, I didn’t need people treating me like a baby and insisting that college wasn’t the place for me. I think I know what I can and can’t do, Professor Miller, thank you very much.” She finished the last sentence in a huff.

You laughed. “I believe that. I’m a little ashamed to admit I underestimated you.”

“Oh, I know,” She said. “I saw your face when you handed me the clipboard that first time. You, however, didn’t keep making the same mistake. I appreciate that.”

You give her an understanding nod. “I do my best.”

“So you want to be a doctor?”

“More than anything,” You sighed. “The closest I got was a field medic in the army.”

“You were in the army?”

“Yeah, Orcs are honor-bound to serve at least one tour in their home country’s military. A lot of Orcs don’t observe this custom anymore, but my family is a bit traditional.”

“Is money a factor in why you can’t be a doctor? I looked into it when I started college. I definitely couldn’t have afforded it at the time.”

A subtle way of saying she wouldn’t judge you if you were poor, you thought.

“No, that wasn’t it. Orcs simply aren’t allowed in medical schools.”

Her head rocked back. “What?”

“I applied at a fair few universities when I was in high school. I got rejected flat out by most of them. One of them actually sent an acceptance letter until they realized I was an Orc and rescinded the letter a few weeks later.”

“That’s terrible!” She said, a look of disgust on her face.

You nodded. “I was pretty devastated.”

“Aren’t there laws against this kind of thing?”

“Yeah, but no one wants to take on big colleges with their high powered retainer lawyers. It’s too big a risk. So I tried being a nurse, and that was shut down just as quick. The best I could do was lab tech, ‘cause it puts me out of direct line of sight of most patients so I can’t scare ‘em.”

“That’s despicable.”

You shrugged. “It’s the way things are. I’ve been working in labs for about ten years now. It’s better than hauling concrete for a living.”

“It’s still bullshit,” She said angrily, stabbing her empty bowl with her fork, spearing the styrofoam.

You laughed at her vehemence on your behalf. It was cute. “I’m not arguing it isn’t.”

Nine Wednesdays later, you had finally summoned the courage to ask. You had no idea how she would respond. She always seemed so unperturbed and put together, and you were a nervous mess. You hoped your anxiety wouldn’t reflect in your ability to get a clean draw. You didn’t want her to think your skill was fading and start going somewhere else.

You called her name with a bright smile. She jumped up and followed you in, sitting down and pushing up her sleeves.

“How’ve you been, Varik?” She asked.

“I been alright,” You replied. “You?”

“Good days, bad days,” She said.

You held up a packet of the caramel cookies you know she liked.

“Guess what we got this week.”

You lied; you bought those before you came in.

She gasped. “Oh, lord bless,” She said with a wide grin. You laid the packet in her lap for when the draw is done.

You decided to wait until the donation was complete just in case she said no, so that the two of you didn’t have to sit in an awkward silence for ten minutes. You talked pleasantly with her while the blood collects in the bag. She told you a joke and you laughed. She could always make you laugh.

Finally, the moment arrived. She was pulling her sleeve down while you put the fresh bag in the fridge.

“So… um… I wanted to ask you something,” You started, then stumbled to a stop.

She looked at you steadily. “Yes?”

Marshaling your bravery, you took a deep breath and said, “I was wondering if you might be free for dinner one night this week.”

She inhaled a deep breath slowly and said, “Oh.” And your heart dropped into your stomach.

“It’s okay,” You said, trying to play it off. “I knew you probably wouldn’t want to, but it doesn’t hurt to ask, right?”

“Oh, no, no,” She said, reaching out as if to put a hand on your arm but stopping short of actually touching you. “No, I’d actually like that very much, but…” He sighed. “I may be moving soon.”

“Oh,” You said dejectedly.

“Yeah,” She replied.

“How soon?”

“A couple of weeks, a month at most. I’m not sure what the plan is yet, but I would feel bad if we started something and then I’d have to break it off in a few weeks. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.” She shrugged a little and looked down, shy for the first time since you met her.

“No, I get it, it’s okay. It’s not your fault,” You said truthfully. “I should have asked sooner.”

She smiled sadly. “I hope it won’t be too weird if I still come in to donate.”

“Oh, not at all,” You assured her with a smile. “We’d still love to see you up here.”

She smiled, apologized one more time, thanked you for the cookies, and was out of the door. You wondered if she actually would come back. You’d just have to wait and see, you supposed.

The next Monday, you got an order from the nurses’ station on the second floor for a full CBC and clotting test as well as basic STD screen, which was standard practice for patient intake. You were about to pass it off to Tenna until you read the name on the order and your heart stopped.

Why was she admitted to the hospital? Did she have a bad seizure? Did she hit her head or something? Telling Tenna you’d take care of it, you took the cart to the second floor and the nurses directed you to room 212. You knocked gently.

“Come in,” You heard her voice said. It was strained.

You opened the door. “Hey, it’s me,” You said. “They sent me up to get some blood for a CBC. I won’t keep you for--” You stopped short when you saw her face and your eyes widened in horror.

She was lying in the bed wearing a hospital gown, which did nothing to hide her injuries. The entire left side of her face was black with bruises and both her upper and lower lip was split. She had a gash on her cheek and her eye was swollen shut. There was also bruises on her upper arms and around her neck. She groaned when she saw you and tried to hide her face.

“What the hell happened?” You asked, reaching out to take and arm gingerly, inspecting the bruises.

“I… fell,” She said weakly, and you narrowed your eyes.

“Like hell, you did,” You growled. “I’ve seen plenty of injuries from a fall before, and the only way they’d be this severe is if you were on anticoagulants. What happened? Who did this to you?”

She sighed. “I was attacked in court.”

“Court?” You echoed.

“I was testifying at a retrial for an old arson case. The defendant keeps finding ways to get mistrials, so we keep having to do this song and dance over and over again. I’m a witness,” She said vaguely. “It’s part of why I moved here.”

“An arson case,” You said slowly, looking at her hands.

She followed your gaze and sighed. “Yeah.” She pulled her hands up and hid them under the blankets. “Anyway, I was stepping down from the witness stand and he jumped the partition and attacked me. He got a good few blows in before the bailiffs could pull him off. I think he’s hoping he’ll get another mistrial, but the prosecutor assures me that she won’t let that happen again.” She huffed. “That’s what she said last time.”  

“Son of a bitch,” You curse under your breath. “Are you okay? I mean, will you be okay?”

“Yeah,” She said, laying her head back on the pillow. “I had a concussion, which isn’t great for my epilepsy, but it’s not serious. They’re gonna keep me for a few days for observation anyway, just to make sure my symptoms don’t worsen.”

You took her chin as carefully as you could and turned her head so you could better examine the bruising. She avoided your eye.

“That’s deep tissue bruising, hun,” You said unhappily. “It’s not going to fade for quite a while.”

“To be honest, I’m fine with that,” She said fiercely, although she still didn’t look at you.

“Why’s that?”

“Because we were going to a recess and I didn’t finish testifying, so now when I go back, the jury is going to have to see what that fucker did to me. If his ploy to get a mistrial fails, he’ll have handed them the best evidence of his guilt since the fire. And if it succeeds, I can just have him charged with assault with intent to kill, which is something he’s not currently charged with, and get an easy twenty years. Either way, I won’t have to deal with him anymore for a long time.” She had a hard-jawed look of triumph on her face, and it made your heart flutter.

The fiery spirit in her voice when she spoke, as well as that righteous gleam in her eye, was beautiful to behold, even with the swelling and bruises. She was a tiny thing, marred and unwell, but by gods she was a fighter. The old-world Orc in him was slack-jawed in awe of her. The new-world Orc was equally enamored.

“Listen,” you said. “I need to get the tests done for your doctors and go back to work, but I’ll be back up later to check on you, okay?”

“You don’t have to do that, Varik,” She said.

“I know I don’t. I’m gonna do it anyway.”

That got a sweeter smile out of her, even if it was small. You knew she had to be in a lot of pain, so you drew the blood quickly and left so she could rest.

You went back downstairs, seething. The fact that this demon from her past put his hands on her and hurt her so badly drove you insane with rage, so much so that Tenna told you around four o’clock to go home early because you were scaring the patients more than usual. You were more than happy to leave.

You didn’t like wearing your scrubs home, since they tended to draw a lot of unwanted attention and made you feel self-conscious, so you shucked them off in the bathroom, pulling on your jeans, t-shirt, and hoodie. Once you were done, you made a detour through the cafeteria, buying three packets of the caramel cookies she liked in an effort to cheer her up a bit, and headed up to the second floor.

As you exited the elevator, you saw a commotion in the hall in front of her door. You pulled a nurse aside and asked, “What’s happening?”

“Varik, you know I can’t tell you that,” the nurse said. “HIPPA violation.”

With your heart in your throat, you waited on the wall outside for what feels like ages, though in reality it could only have been a few minutes. Finally, the doctors and nurses cleared out. The resident physician saw you standing there in your day clothes without the collection cart and gave you a funny look.

“Are you here to collect samples?”

“Yes,” You lied.

“Well, make it quick. She needs rest.”’

“Sure,” You said as he brushed past you. The doctor had left the door open, but you knocked anyway before entering.

She’s lying limp on the bed and looks up at you when you slide inside the room. The swelling on her face had gone down some, but her left eye was still sealed shut.

“Hey,” You call softly.

“Hey,” She replied.

“You okay?”

“Been better.”

“Bad seizure?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. It wasn’t recurring, so I’ll be fine. I’m just tired.”

“Well, I just wanted to check on you, but I’ll let you rest.” You start to back out.

“Actually,” She said, reaching out. “Would you mind staying for a little bit? I don’t really want to be alone right now and I don’t have anyone else I can call.”

“Yeah, of course.” You cross the room and sit on the couch on the opposite side. You hold up the cookies. “Brought you a get-well present.”

She smiled at you while trying to hide her bruised face in the pillow. “You spoil me.”

“No, no, you’d know it if I was spoiling you,” You said, moving the rolling tray so you could see her better. Her head moved to follow the motion, and you saw that the gash had been stitched. You thought that stitching on top of the bruises must have hurt quite a lot, even with local anesthetic. No wonder she’d had a seizure. Stress and pain were huge triggers.

You motioned at the stitches. “That’s probably going to scar a little.”

She sighed unhappily. “Yeah. Just adding to the collection, I guess.”

It was the first time she had ever hinted that she was displeased with her appearance, though you suspected she probably had some body image issues. You didn’t know how to tell her you thought she was lovely.

“You… you know,” You began haltingly. “Before the Great War, before Orcs and other creatures started trying to integrate into human society, Orcs saw scars as marks of beauty and prestige. A scar was a story, a memory. You  earned them like badges. One of our favorite pastimes was to describe in graphic detail how we got each one. If you didn’t have at least one scar, you could forget about getting married or gaining rank. The more scars you had, the more attractive and desirable you were, in both your personal and professional life.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I must be fucking gorgeous, then,” She said in a sarcastic voice.

“Yes,” You said without thinking. “You are.”

Her open eye widened with shock. She didn’t respond.

Realizing what you said, you cleared your throat nervously. “I’m sorry, I spoke out of turn. Forget it.”

“No, it’s okay,” She said softly. “I’ve just… no one has ever said that to me before.”

“Well, people are stupid.” You picked up her hand and stroked the shiny, pink burn on her wrist. “I’d dearly love to know the story of these.” You looked up at her and she was watching you apprehensively. “But if you don’t want to say, that’s okay.”

She sighed. “No, it’s okay. I’ve told this story enough times in front of a room of strangers, so maybe I can finally tell it to a friend.” Her right eye went a little distant with recollection.

“When I was twelve, my family and I moved to a little town just outside of Grand Rapids. My parents were unaware when they bought our house that a serial arsonist was targeting families in the region, and the realtor agency conveniently failed to mention it to us when we bought the house.”

“Serial arsonist?”

“Yeah, he had burned down six houses before we moved there, killing every person inside. He had found a way to seal them in so they couldn’t escape. He always targeted families of four or more, so when my parents, my brothers, and I moved in, we were the perfect targets. We hadn’t been there more than a month when he struck.”

“What happened?”

“I woke up in the middle of the night to smoke coming through underneath the crack in the door. We were in a single story house and he had sealed all the exits. He started the fire in my parents bedroom and sealed them in so they couldn’t help my brothers and me, and made sure the water main was turned off. Then he covered the doors in accelerant and lit them up separately.”

“Gods,” You breathed in horror.

“I managed to get out of my room and to the front door, not knowing it was on fire outside. I grabbed the handle with both hands…” She paused, staring at her hands, turning them over slowly, sadly. “The metal was so hot. It just melted the skin from my hands. It sent me into shock and I passed out. At some point, the fire department got there and had to get into the house somehow, so they broke a window, which caused a backdraft. The house just went up like a bomb. The roof above my brother’s room collapsed.”

“Were they okay?”

She didn’t give you an answer, but you knew right away what it was.

“I woke up three months later an orphan. The only bright side was that he was in custody, but that’s because he found out I was still alive and came back to finish the job. They caught him in the hospital with a water bottle full of gasoline.”

“Holy shit,” You said, rubbing your face roughly, practically vibrating in fury. The fact that people like this evil dickhole actually existed in the world was insufferable, but what she had been through…

“At least I got a decent settlement when I sued the realtors. I don’t actually need to work, but it keeps me busy, so I do it anyway. No reason not to work if I can.”

“I want to go with you the next time you testify,” you blurted out, surprising yourself.

Her eyebrows went up in surprise. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“You’ll miss work.”

“I don’t care. I’ve got vacation days I haven’t used.”

“It would be nice to have a friendly face there for once,” She said thoughtfully. “But, really, you don’t have to go to that kind of trouble.”

“If it’s you, it’s no trouble at all.”

She looked at you for a very long moment, her brow furrowed, as if debating something in her mind.

“What’s wrong?”

“Last week,” She said slowly. “When you asked me out to dinner… were you being sincere?”

You frowned in confusion. “Of course I was. Did you think I was joking?”

“No,” She said hesitantly. “No joking, necessarily, but…” She looked down at her hands again and twisted them in her lap.

You understood. “You thought it was a pity date.”

She shrugged, looking embarrassed. “Well, yeah. I mean, a good looking guy with a steady job who’s trying to better himself and seems really genuine and sweet. Why would he look twice at me?”

“Because you’re amazing and I admire you,” You said, smiling. “You think I’m good looking?”

She narrowed her eye in disgust. “Oh, like you don’t know, Mr. I-buy-cookies-for-her-just-to-be-adorable.”

You winced. “You know about that, huh?”

She rolled her good eye. “You think I didn’t see them in the cafeteria?”

You snorted a laugh through your nose. “Fuck, I’ve been had.”

She laughed. It was a good sound.

“Is that why you turned me down?” You asked. “You thought I didn’t actually mean it?”

“That was part of it, yes,” She admitted, sighing heavily. “But once the trial is over and he’s sentenced, I’ll have to go back home.” She grunted in frustration. “Although from how things have been going, it looks like it’ll never be over.”

“If you weren’t moving, would you have said yes?”

“If I thought you were serious, yeah, sure. But I won’t be going on any dates for a long time.” She motioned vaguely at her face.

“Hmm.” You said, standing up. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Wha…” She said, frowning in confusion. “Hey!”

You were already out the door and down the hall. Instead of going back to the cafeteria, you left the hospital and went to the really good take out place across the street. While standing in line, you pulled out your phone and did a little research on what was good and bad for people with epilepsy to eat and drink. You bought some soup, salad, pie, and a couple of bottles of water. You then ducked into the dollar store next door and bought a table cloth, plates, bowls, silverware, and a pack of those battery-operated candles that flicker.

“What is all this?” She asked when you returned.

“You’ll see,” You said with a smile, laying out the table cloth over the rolling tray. You laid out the plates, bowls, and silverware, and spooned out the food. You turned on the candles and put them strategically around the table.

“Varik, seriously, what is this?” She asked again as she watched you work.

“Our first date,” You replied, smiling at her.

Her mouth fell open in surprise. She huffed, looking out at the spread. Her lips formed a sweet, shy smile and her chin trembled. Before the tears could fall, she gripped the blanket and hid her face.

“Hey, hey,” You said, pulling her into a one-armed hug. She laid her head in the hollow of your neck. “That bad, huh?”

“No,” She said into the skin of your collarbone. “No, I love it.”

“Good,” You said, snugging her in but not squeezing to tightly. “It’s not the date I had planned, but…”

“It’s perfect,” She said, sniffing. “I should have said yes when you asked.”

“Hey, we got there. Doesn’t matter how.”

“You’re right.” She said, pulling back and smiling at you. “We can do your original plan next time.”

You grinned widely, watching her carefully maneuver the fork so she could wedge it between her fingers, wondering how much time it had taken for her to learn how to do that after the injury, and if you would ever stopped being impressed by her.


	2. Part 2

She ended up needing to stay for almost a week. She’d had a few more grand-mal seizures in the first few days that had the doctors concerned, but she started to even out after day four. The bruises on her neck and arm were fading well enough. The ones on her face were still dark but they weren’t quite so… juicy looking, and they were starting to go green and yellow around the edges, which was a good sign.

You came up every day at lunch and after work, sitting with her, sharing your meals and talking. She asked about your family and all your little sisters, of which there were quite a few, fascinated by the Orcish customs and traditions. She expressed a desire to meet them one day. Gods willing, that would happen eventually.

You asked her what city life was like, and was surprised to learn that a lot of Orcs were business types rather than manual laborers. Perhaps it was the curse of small town life, but the Orcs you knew in town only ever worked as labor, security, or military. She mentioned that one of the women she translated for in the accounting firms was, in fact, an Orcish matriarch of an entire legion of business-oriented children and grandchildren, and you found it weirdly encouraging.

While eating dinner with her on Thursday, the door to her room opened to reveal a sharply dressed woman carrying a briefcase. She looked mostly human, but the greyish tinge of her skin and sharpness of her features made you think she might be at least part goblin.

“Hey Elena,” She said, sweeping by you to hug the woman in the bed.

“Hey Karen,” Elena replied. “Got good news for me?”

“Boy, do I ever,” Karen said, but stopped when she saw you. “Who’s this?”

“This is my friend, Varik,” Elena said, gesturing at you and smiling.

“ _Ohhh,_ ” Karen purred with a sly grin. “So this is the cute orc guy you never stop talking about.”

“How ‘bout you shut your noise-hole, _Karen_ ,” Elena said loudly, putting a hard edge on the _K_ in Karen’s name. You chuckled softly and Elena glared at you.

Karen smirked but changed the subject. “Well, bad news first: he got the mistrial.”

“What!” Elena exclaimed. “What the hell, Karen? I thought you said you had good news.”

“I do,” She said, handing Elena a document. “The judge made the determination that the jury couldn’t possibly be non-biased after witnessing the attack, but I’ve been in chambers with the judge and Russel’s lawyer going back and forth for days. The law is clear. We were at recess when the attack happened, meaning…”

Elena’s eyes lit up. “We don’t have to file separately. It’s admissible in _this_ case.”

“You’re damn straight it is,” Karen said. “His lawyer kept arguing emotional distress, but he’s a fucking moron of he thinks he can call that provocation, considering you were literally giving a witness account across the room from him and you had no way to defend yourself. He’s finally dug himself a grave he can’t get out of.”

Elena lay back in the bed and closed her eyes, breathing a sigh of relief. “We got him.”

“We got him,” Karen agreed.

“So what does this mean?” You asked.

“Well, it means we have to wait for the next trial to begin. There’s motions to be filed, a jury to be selected, affidavits to be signed. But we’re finally taking this bastard down.” She looked down at Elena sympathetically. “Sorry, dear. It looks like your going to be stuck in town for another month at least.”

Elena looked down at her lap in thought, and a shy side smiled tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“That’s okay,” she said, looking up at you. “I don’t mind.” You smiled back widely.

“Mhm,” Karen said, looking between you and Elena with a knowing smirk. “I bet not. How much longer they keeping you in here for?”

“As far as I know, ‘til Saturday.”

“Mkay,” Karen said, making a note of it in her phone. “Well, call me when you get out and we’ll go over our plan of attack, okay? And for gods’ sake, call Stucker, will you? He’s been up my ass trying to get a hold of you.”

Elena sighed. “Yeah, my phone died and I couldn’t get back to the apartment for my charger. I’ll call him.”

Karen bid farewell and left.

You frowned. “I’d have gotten your charger for you.”

Elena smiled, using the back of her hand to touch your arm. “You already do so much for me.”

You snorted. “Bringing you lunch and dinner so you don’t have to eat the garbage they serve patients here isn’t doing things for you. I’d be insane to leave you to the hospital cooks’ mercy. You can rely me if you need a hand, you know, don’t be afraid to ask. I’m here if you need me.”

“I appreciate it,” She said with a sweet grin.

“Who’s Stucker? Old boyfriend?”

She laughed out loud at that one. “God no! He’s over three times my age. He’s a pediatric surgeon specializing in burns; he was my doctor until I turned eighteen. He can’t treat me anymore, but we’ve kept in touch. He’s a good friend.”

“Sounds like a good doctor, if he made such a big impression on you.”

“He was. He is,” She said fondly. “He used to bring me cupcakes every time he visited. He made the nurses so mad.” She laughed again, and you laughed with her.

“When he found out that my family was gone,” She said, her face growing somber. “He made it a point to make sure I was taken care of. He couldn’t directly care for me beyond a medical capacity, but he made sure I had books and school work and things to keep me occupied. He even testified at the first trial, when I couldn’t leave the hospital to testify myself. He did as much as he was able to ensure I could still grow, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, too. I’m the person I am today because of him.”

“Well, as a person who deeply admires who you are, I think I’d like to shake this man’s hand,” You said.

She smiled at the thought. “Maybe one day you will.”

The day she was released, you drove her home in your truck. It was so tall that if you hadn’t lifted her to put her in it, she’d have had to jump. She was actually perfectly capable of driving, but she had left her car in the city.

Her apartment was small and bare, which wasn’t that odd, considering she hadn’t expected to stay in town for long. There was a couch and a T.V., a desk with a laptop, a kitchen table with two chairs, and that was pretty much it. You assumed there was a bed in the bedroom, but the door was closed and you didn’t go in there to check.

You didn’t notice any major modifications to anything that would make them easier to use. She apparently had found ways to do most things that didn’t require massive adjustments to be made.

“Do you mind if I make a call to Dr. Stucker really fast? Then we can eat.”

“No, not at all, go ahead.”

She took the phone out of her pocket, opened her contacts and pressed a button with the top knuckle of her index finger. The phone had a strap on it so that she could affix it to the inside of her wrist, since her fingers didn’t open wide enough to allow her to hold it the normal way. While she talked, you set a place for the both of you at the table and began sorting the take-out you had picked up for lunch.

“Hey, Will,” She said. “Yeah, I’m okay. I just got home. I’m doing okay, I’m back on my regular meds and the swelling is gone. No, I just need rest. Yeah. Yeah, they want me to take it as easy as possible for the next week or so, but after that I’ll see if I can come up for a visit. It’s been a while. How’s Teresa? That’s good. Okay. Yeah, I just wanted to check in and tell you what’s going on. Yeah, I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Okay. Bye, Will.”

“Good call?” You asked as you sit down. You wondered a little about the fact that she just happened to have a chair built strongly enough to hold an Orc.

“Yep,” She said, picking up her fork. “I told him about you, you know.”

“You did?” You said, surprised. “Why?”

“He likes to know what’s going on in my life, if I’ve made friends, if I’m happy.”

“Are you happy?”

“I’m working on it,” She said with a smile.

After lunch, she said, “Thanks for bringing me home and treating me. I don’t want to keep you if you have somewhere else to be.”

“Where else would I have to be?” You asked. “It’s the weekend. I’m usually at home in my sweats eating cereal over the sink. I’d much rather be here.”

She snorted. “Well, I’ve got some new movies on my streaming service. Want to stay and watch a movie with me?”

“Does that mean cuddles and snacks?” You asked.

“Would it be a party if it didn’t?”

You grinned. “I’m in, dude.”

You both moved to the couch and she cuddled into your side, a sweet warmth against your body. You took the blanket on the back of the couch and laid it over her, putting your arm around her shoulder. She looked up the long range of your chest and smiled sleepily at you before picking a movie and snugging in.

You finished the movie, and then another. Halfway through the third, she fell asleep. You watched her for a few minutes as she slept, feeling a gentle smile crease your face. You felt a peace in your body that released all the tension that had built up from your week; all the stares, all the comments, all the frustration of it just poured out of your body as you watched that little fireball at rest.

After a time, you shifted carefully and picked her up, taking her to her room. You were surprised to see that her twin-sized mattresses had been laid out on the floor and had no headboard or footboard. Kneeling next to the bed with her on your knee, you pulled the covers back and set her down, taking off her shoes, replacing the blankets, and smoothing her hair out of her face. On the short night table at the head the bed, there was a seizure monitoring device attached to a motion sensitive pad under the sheets. Quietly, you turned it on.

Going back out to the living room, you wondered if you should just leave her to rest, but that felt abrupt and impolite. You could leave a note, you supposed, but at the same time, you really didn’t want to leave her alone. She was still recovering and the potential for another seizure was high.

So, instead, you thought you might make her dinner. You were a decent cook, although you only cooked for yourself anymore. You looked over her fridge and pantry, which was admittedly pretty sparse, but that wasn’t surprising. Cooking was hand-heavy work, and even though she managed to do most things very well, you thought maybe cooking was just one of those things outside the barrier of possibility for her.

She did have chicken, marinara, cheese, pasta, and some green vegetables, though, so it looked like Chicken Parmesan was on the menu for this evening.

She woke up two hours later with her alarm going off. You had just drained the pasta and set it aside while the chicken baked. You turned and saw her standing in the doorway of the kitchen with a shocked look on her face.

“You’re still here,” She said.

“Yep,” You replied rightly. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

“You made dinner?” She asked, smiling and sniffing the air.

“Chicken parm and pasta with stovetop-grilled green vegetables,” You said. “Sound good?”

“That sounds _amazing_ , thank you,” She said, pulling a plastic cup out of the cabinet with both hands and a straw from a drawer. “But you don’t have to do all this, Varik.”

“Remember what I said about spoiling you?” You said, laying your cheek on the top of her head. You could feel her giggle. “Why is your bed on the ground?”

“Safer,” She replied simply. “If I have a seizure in my sleep and fall out of bed, it’s better if I don’t have a long way to fall.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” You said. “What about a bed with rails?”

“I have quite enough of hospital beds when I’m in the hospital, thank you,” She replied, putting a pill in her mouth and sipping the water. She flung her head back and swallowed hard.

“Do you want me to cut the meat for you?” You asked.

“If you cut my meat, I will stab you with a steak fork,” She said dryly.

“Message received,” You said, laughing.

After dinner, you couldn’t put off going home any longer but you were still hesitant to leave.

“You’ll call me if something happens, won’t you?” You asked as you put a foot out the door, halfway in the hall and halfway in the apartment.

“I promise I will,” She assured you. “The monitor in my room is set up to call an ambulance if I have more than two consecutive episodes, as well as send a text to a preset list of people. I can add your number to the list.”

You nodded in acceptance. “And if you need anything, you’ll call then, too?”

“Yes, Varik, I will,” She replied, laughing gently. “I’ve been doing this a long time now. I know what to do. You don’t have to fuss over me so much.”

“I know, but I can’t help it. I’m a fusser.”

She smiled. “It is nice having someone to worry for me. I’m used to doing all the worrying myself.”

“Well, not anymore.”

The way she looked up at you, all soft and sweet, made you step back into the apartment and take her face into your hands, careful not to put too much pressure on the left side. You lowered your head and kissed her lips. You’d been dying to do this for weeks. You were pleased to feel her arms wrapping around your waist, gripping you tight. The kiss was long, but she kept it light, as if unsure how far to take it. You yourself were reluctant to deepen it and risk hurting her. She was still healing, after all.

You broke apart, and she looked up at you with the widest smile you had yet to see on her face, bright and happy. You felt your expression might be mirroring hers. With a last quick peck on the lips, you departed.

* * *

 

The new trial started less than a month later. As promised, you went with her when it was time for her to testify. As you entered the courtroom you caught sight of the son of a bitch who hurt her and murdered her family: a shortish, smug-looking human with brown hair named Jacob Russel. You growled. He looked around at the sound and paled when he saw you. However, when he noticed Elena standing next to you, he grinned at you, baring his teeth and snapping his jaws at Elena.

In Orcish culture, this was considered a direct threat to an Orc and those in his care. It set you on edge and engulfed your body with a cold fire. You felt your foot raise involuntarily to start toward him, your hands balled into fists.

Elena put her hands around your wrist, turning you to face her and away from Russel.

“It’s okay,” She said, drawing herself up in a dignified way, her face neutral. “Don’t let him get to you. It’s what he wants.”

“I want to snap his fucking neck,” You said in a harsh whisper.

“I want to let you,” She replied. “But I’d much rather he were in prison and not you.”

You took a deep, calming breath, looking back up at the sick human man with a snarl. She reached up and pet your cheek with the back of her hand, redirecting your attention back to her. She held your face between her damaged palms, your skin tingling under her touch.

“He’s just a man,” She said softly. “He’s not worth the energy it takes to hate him.”

You had to smile at that. Taking her hands in your own, you said, “How many therapists had to say that to you before you believed it?”

She smiled. “I’m still working on the believing part.”

“All rise,” The bailiff bellowed. You and Elena went to find your seats behind the prosecution’s table. Karen turned to look at the both of you encouragingly before facing the judge’s bench. “The Honorable Judge Rita Short presiding.”

“Be seated,” The judge said as she took her own seat. “Has the jury been sworn in?”

“Yes, your Honor,” The bailiff said. You looked at the jury, mostly human, but there was a Tiefling, a Goblin, and what appeared to be a half-Fae there as well. You were surprised at the Tiefling there; they generally did whatever it took not to get involved in the affairs of others. Well, maybe they couldn’t get out of jury duty.

“Very good,” The judge said, looking down at her papers. “Let’s get started.”

Karen stood and gave an opening statement that she had apparently given almost a dozen times, modified slightly with each recital. The defense did the same. Then it was time for witness testimony.

She stood up, her back straight as a rail, and she passed the defendant’s table without missing a step. She didn’t look at Russel once, instead keeping her eyes on Karen. You could tell when she was feeling uncomfortable because her eyes would drift to yours for a split second before she continued. You gave her a grim nod, and she returned a small half-smile.

“How extensive were your injuries?” Karen asked.

“Very,” Elena responded. “It caused the epilepsy I now live with and severely limited my ability to use my hands.”

“I’d like to present for the jury’s consideration exhibit E-7. Elena, if you would?”

Elena stood from the witness stand and walked to the jury's box, presenting her hands for their examination. She encouraged them to touch as well as look, and although most of them were shy of touching her, a few reached out and gently moved her hands this way and that, frowning in horror. When they were done, Elena climbed back onto the witness stand and sat down.

“Is there any possibility that the mobility in your hands could be improved or the epilepsy could be cured?” Karen asked.

“No, none whatsoever,” Elena replied. “The damage is permanent.”

“I see,” Karen said. “No further questions, but I reserve the right to recall this witness again in the future.”

“Noted,” The judge said, penciling something down. “Does the defense have any questions for the witness?”

“Yes, your honor,” Russel’s lawyer said, standing. You saw Elena roll her eyes lightly as the defense approached the witness stand.

“Miss Halvorsdottr,” The defense attorney began. “You seem pretty confident that my client was the perpetrator, yet in all your accounts, it appears you never actually saw him a single time during any of the events that took place. Is that true?”

“I saw him attack me,” Elena said sharply. “It was pretty hard to miss.”

“Yes or no, Miss Halvorsdottr,” The lawyer said.

“In that case, yes, I did; he assaulted me.”

“But you never saw him light the fire. And you didn’t see him in the hospital.”

“No,” Elena said. “But plenty of other people certainly saw him with the bottle full of gasoline.”

“I’m not asking what other people saw, I’m asking what you saw. And you didn’t see him, did you?”

“No.”

“You didn’t see him set the fire?”

“No.”

“You didn’t see him in your house?”

“No.”

“You didn’t see him in the hospital at all?”

“How many times are you going to ask the same questions?”

“Yes or no, please.”

Elena sighed. “No.”

“So everything you just told us, about my client being responsible, is just hearsay, correct? Someone told you it was true so you believed it? I mean, it’s not your fault, you were just a child.”

“I may have been a child, but I wasn’t stupid.”

“I’m not insinuating you were, Miss Halvorsdottr. Just misinformed, perhaps.”

“How misinformed am I if he felt the need to attack me in open court?”

“Yes, I’d like an answer to that question myself,” Judge Short said, knitting her fingers together and looking at the defense with a dry expression.

He cleared his throat. “No further questions, your Honor.”

“The witness may step down,” Judge Short said, nodding at the bailiffs. They escorted Elena back to the gallery, their hands on their weapons. The defense attorney gripped Russel’s arm, whether in warning or to restrain him, or both, you weren’t sure.

“You were amazing up there,” You whispered to Elena as she sat down.

“Lots of practice,” She replied, winking.

Next, they called up a juror who had witness the attack on Elena during the previous trial and showed pictures of the aftermath, including Elena's injuries. Then the coroner who had done the autopsies on Elena’s family and other families that had been murdered took the stand. There were pictures, which Elena looked at with a stony face, her jaw set. She was passed the point where any part of the trial bothered her anymore. You’re sure she’s seen all this a dozen times.

Finally, at around four, the judge called an end of the day recess, to be reconvened the following morning. Elena didn’t need to be there after giving her testimony unless she was recalled by Karen. Otherwise, she’s only need to return for the verdict.

Relieved it was over for now, Elena happily accepted a ride back home with you.

“How are you doing?” You asked when you got into her apartment? “How’s your stress level?”

“Better now that I’m home,” She said. “The hardest part for me is done. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the other expert witnesses to finish with their testimony and then let the jury deliberate. As long as he doesn’t do anything to cause a mistrial again, that is.”

You put your hands on her shoulders, feeling the muscles knotted underneath. “You still seem a bit tense,” You said in a low, seductive voice. “Maybe I can help you with that.” You heard her breathe a soft laugh through her nose.

You and Elena had yet to be intimate, mostly because of her injuries, but you also thought she might be holding back for some reason. You hadn’t asked why, hoping that it would just happened naturally when she was feeling ready for it. She was going through enough right now without you hounding her for sex.

She seemed receptive now. As you kneaded the flesh of her neck and shoulders gently, she let her head fall back against your chest, leaving the soft skin of her throat exposed. You lowered your head to it and kissed it softly, and she sighed shakily, biting her lip.

She spun and reached up for you. As you bent down, she placed her arms around your neck and pulled you close. Your lips connected, your tongue flicking over her lips until she opened them and let you probe around inside. She giggled as your hands roamed her body, gliding down over her back to squeeze her bottom. She squealed a little and her body arched, pressing her breasts against your chest, the clothes in between them rubbing against your skin. You felt the heat in your body flare and pulled your hands back to tug at her shirt, your breathing coming faster. Hers was just as uneven.

And then her phone rang.

You groaned. “Let it ring.”

She giggled against your lips. “It could be important.”

You grunted unhappily, but let her go, hands trailing across her belly as she moved to grab her phone.

“I’ll make it quick,” She said, a frisky sparkle in her eyes. Grinning widely, she reached for her phone and pressed the answer button.

“Hey, Karen, is this important? I’m in the middle of…” Elena trailed off and furrowed her brow. “Slow down, Karen, what are you talking about? _What?_ No, say that again, but slowly, I can’t understand you.”

Karen repeated what she said in a slow, deliberate voice, and Elena went white as a sheet and stopped breathing.

“Honey, what?” You asked. “What is it? What happened?”

She sat heavily at the table, ending the call and putting the phone down. She let her head fall and began to hyperventilate, gulping in air desperately.

“Elena, what happened?”

She looked up, her eyes seeing through you. “He’s gone,” She said in a strained whisper.

“What? Who?”

“Russel,” She said, tears pouring from her cheeks as she tried to breathe through her panic. “He’s gone. He's escaped.” She grabbed you and held on for dear life. “He’s coming for me.”


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the arsonist and serial killer Russel free from prison and stalking Elena, Varik takes her somewhere he knows she'll be safe: to his mother.

During the thirty or so minutes that it took Karen to get to your apartment, Varik held you and didn’t let go. You were so terrified that you couldn’t form sentences. At some point, you had a drop attack, slipping from his grasp and hitting the floor. He then sat cross-legged on the ground with you curled in his lap, crying.

“While being moved back to the jail, Russel made himself throw up and managed to get the gun from his transporters when they were trying to tend to him,” Karen told you when she arrived. “He shot them and stole the transport vehicle. He carjacked a man near the interstate and seems to be jumping from car to car to throw off the trail. He’s armed and in the wind.”

You took a large, shivering breath. Varik’s hand squeezed yours gently.

“So what do we do now?” You asked.

“We need to move you into protective custody. Now,” Karen said. She had her phone out and was flipping through her contacts, one hand gripping her forehead in frustration. “I’ll call Autry at the field office and he can set something up. You should go start packing a bag.”

You nodded, heading to your room with Varik trailing after you. As you pulled out your duffle bag and began stuffing it with clothes, toiletries, and your medicine as fast as your damaged hands would let you, he shut down your computer and disconnected your seizure monitors and started to put them carefully in their respective cases.

Once done, he carried all the bags into the kitchen while Karen was having a rapid fire discussion with someone on other end of the phone.

“Okay,” She said when she hung up. “Autry’s got a safe house two towns over he can have ready in two hours.”

“I’m ready to go,” You said. “I’ve got everything I need.”

“Alright, let’s get you into the car and head out,” Karen said, hefting the duffle bag on her shoulder. “I want us out of this town sooner rather than later.”

You nodded and turned to Varik. His expression was angry and pained. You reached for him and he swallowed your body in his embrace, squeezing tightly enough to be a comforting pressure and not a suffocating one.

“I’m scared,” You mumbled into the fabric of the shirt on his chest, your voice barely a whisper.

“I know, honey,” He said, kissing the top of your head. “But I’ll be there if you need me, okay? Text me when you get to where your going and I’ll come and see you. You don’t--”

“No, Varik, you don’t understand,” Karen interjected with a discomfited frown. “This is protective custody. Witness protection. You can’t know where she is. You can’t have any contact with her. In fact, you should delete her number from your phone.”

“What?” Varik said, his face now completely angry. “No! Absolutely not.”

“This isn’t your decision to make, Varik. I’m not putting Elena’s life in danger so you guys can keep dating.”

“That’s not what this is about! I have to know that she’s okay! I can’t just let her go without knowing if she’ll be all right!”

You start to panic again, like a stone in your stomach that was increasing in size and pushing all of your other organs, specifically your lungs, out of their original positions.

“Karen, please, can’t I just text him? Isn’t there something we can do? Please.” Your tears welled up again and poured down your cheeks. “Please. Varik is the only person who has ever made me feel safe. I don’t want to go through all this alone anymore. Not again.”

“I’m sorry, Elena,” Karen said desperately. “But we have to put you somewhere where we know you’ll be safe, and that means cutting ties until this is over. I’m sorry.”

“What if there was something else we could do?” Varik said suddenly. “What if I could take her somewhere I knew without a shadow of a doubt she would be safe?”

“Where exactly would that be?” Karen said skeptically.

Varik’s brow furrowed and he looked down at you with a considering gaze.

“Let me make a call,” He said. He kissed your cheek softly and stepped back into the bedroom. You sit on the edge of the chair at the kitchen table tersely with Karen watching the door, her foot tapping impatiently.

Varik returned about five minutes later, looking gruff but triumphant.

“I’ve got it set up,” He said. “My mom has a cattle ranch about sixty miles west of here. Huge tracks of land surrounded by trees on all sides. Three of my five sisters still work there and, believe it or not, they’re all bigger than me. We have several centaur and troll field hands and my stepdad used to be a professional arena fighter. We’ve got hunting rifles as well as small arsenal of .22s my mom calls ‘rabbit repellents.’ The place is practically a fortress. If Elena going to be safe anywhere, it’s there.”

Karen crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, her gaze darting from Varik to you.

“Is this what you want?” She asked you.

You had to think about it. You didn’t want to have to go to another tiny safe house where you couldn’t go outside and interact with people, and you certainly didn’t want to be separated from Varik with no way to contact him. But what would his family think of you? Had he even told them about you before tonight? Would they be angry at him for foisting you on them with no warning?”

“Will I see you?” You asked Varik.

“Of course you will,” He said. “I’ll be there the whole time. I’ll take time off work. Hell, I’ll quit. They barely tolerate me there, anyway.”

You opened your mouth in shock. “Varik! Don’t quit! Working in medicine is your dream!”

“Being a doctor is my dream, and I’m nowhere close to that.” He knelt down in front of you and kissed your lips softly. “I want you to be safe, and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. If I have to stay by your side until that piece of human garbage is dealt with, I will. Leaving a shitty job where no one likes me for doing it is hardly a sacrifice. And even if it was, I’d be happy to do it if it meant staying with you. There’s _nothing_ I wouldn’t do for you.”

Tears slid down your cheeks as you gaped at him. Emotions were fighting each other in your body: overwhelming terror and unyielding joy. You didn’t know which was winning. You placed your arms around his neck and hugged him tight, sniffling into his shirt collar. He laid kisses along your clothed shoulder and petted his fingers down your spine.

Karen sighed. “How soon can you move her?”

“They’re waiting for us now,” Varik said, pulling away to lug your bags onto his shoulders. “If we leave now, I can have her there in a little over an hour.”

“Good, then you best get going.” Karen gave you a swift hug before picking up her briefcase. “You text me when you get there, understand?”

“Yes,” You said dutifully.

“I also want twice daily updates. If anything happens, you call for help immediately, do you hear me?” Karen asked, her finger in your face.

You knocked her hand away gently. “I know, Karen. I will.”

Varik, with all of your bags slung over one arm, took you by the hand and led you out of the apartment after Karen. You didn’t even bother to lock the door.

He carefully arranged the baggage in the empty tool box in the bed of his giant truck, then lifted you in, clicking your seatbelt across your body. He climbed in the other side of the truck and drove away from the apartment. You didn’t know if it was a good sign or a bad sign that you didn’t feel any nostalgia for the place, but then again, you’d only been there for four months.

“This isn’t how I wanted you to meet my family,” He said a little diffidently. “I had this Sunday dinner thing planned. But I guess I should have learned by now that plans don’t always work out the way you want them to.” He shrugged, sighing.

“They’re not mad about this, are they?” You asked cautiously.

“What, about taking you in?” He asked, looking at you out of the side of his eye and smiling. “No, not at all. They’ve been dying to meet you.”

“Really?” You said, perking up a bit.

“Oh, yeah,” He said, his teeth flashing as his smile widened. “I think my mom might have exploded if she didn’t get to see you soon. She’s going to _love_ you.”

Despite everything, you had to smile. “I’ve been looking forward to meet them, too. I am nervous, though.”

He took your hand and stroked the back of it tenderly. “Don’t be. Just to prepare you, though, Ma is one of those old fashioned moms that feed you three helpings of everything plus pie, and my sisters act meaner than they actually are. They won’t cause you any trouble, but they can be pretty tactless.”

“Nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” You assured him. “Do we need to stop by your place and get anything?”

He shook his head. “Getting you to safety is my number one priority. I’ll worry about anything else later.”

Your heart felt like a landed fish every time he talked like that, flopping around and heaving, and you didn’t know how to unpack the emotion.

The sun was just setting as he turned off the main road onto a gravel one with no road sign surrounded by forest. The trees opened up after another five minutes of bumpy riding and the gravel road turned to a dirt one, at which a large gate blocked your way. Varik had to open the gate, drive through, and then close it again before you could get to the actual ranch.

You saw fences jump up as the fields came into view, with many cows lazing in the grass, congregating at salt licks and hay bales. You hadn’t actually see cows in real life before and stared out of the open window at them. On the other of the road was another field, but this one corralled horses, gently being shepherded by centaurs, another creature you had never seen up close. They didn’t really go to the city much; most of the buildings aren’t built for creatures with four legs.

The truck pulled up and stopped at a porch that wrapped around the entire house. It looked like every farmhouse you’d ever seen in magazines, only it was massive. It was three stories high plus an attic, and had to possess at least eight bedrooms. It was painted green with white accents and had a large black crest or seal painted on the foremost outer wall, likely their clan sigil.

There, on the porch, was an orc woman who looked every bit the farmwife, complete with knee-length shirt dress covered with an apron. She looked an awful lot like Varik, with her black hair, soft green skin, and warm brown eyes, but where Varik wore his hair in a long braid tied neatly and tightly without ornament behind his shoulders, her’s was free and curling around her head down to her waist, with small, beaded braids dangling here and there. Her tusks were small, but not filed like Varik’s were, and had silver bands circling each one, signifying she was the leader of the household. She was a beautiful woman, despite her age, and it was apparent that she still had quite a lot of spirit left in her.

“Varik!” She exclaimed, throwing herself off of the porch and into her sons arms. She was a hair or so taller than he was. From his description, Varik was actually the shortest of his family, but considering how tall he was in relation to you, meeting the other family members made you a little uneasy.

“Is this your girl?” She asked, pulling away and eyeing you.

“Yes, Ma,” He said, smiling down at me. “This is Elena, my girlfriend.”

Your eyes widened but you didn’t comment. Neither of you had framed your relationship in those terms yet, but you had to admit it sounded nice. You smiled at him shyly.

“Oh, she’s just as lovely as you said she was, Varik,” His mother cooed, holding out her hands for yours. “C’mere and let me take a look at you, baby.”

Feeling a little self conscious under her scrutiny, you laid your hands in hers. She looked up and down you, a tiny twig compared to her, in apparent satisfaction. If she noticed the scars and the damage to your fingers, she said not a word about it.

“Aren’t you just the most precious little thing?” She asked, smiling warmly at you. “You hungry, sugar? We’re just about to sit down to dinner.”

“I’m definitely peckish,” You said with a sheepish smile. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Call me Charna. And don’t you worry, sweetie pie,” She said hooking your arm around her elbow. “We’re gonna look after you out here. Ain’t no murderin’ son of a bitch touching a hair on my future daughter-in-law’s head, that’s for damn sure.”

“Ma, please, for the love of the gods, could you not embarrass me this _one tim_ e,” Varik begged desperately from behind you. You giggled.

“I am your mother; it is my right,” She said over he shoulder as she led you in.

Inside, seated at a table, were three very large but proportional orc women, all of whom shared features with Varik, although one of them had her hair cropped shortish and dyed a rainbow of colors. They all looked up at you with interest when you came in.

“Elena, I’d like you to meet Keter,” He pointed at the rainbow headed orc girl at the table, “Dobah,” He motioned at a girl with redder colored hair that was knotted up in a bun, “And Gruna.” He elbowed the last girl, who slapped on the stomach him in return.

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” You said. “I’ve heard only good things.”

“Oh, I hope not,” Dobah said. “If any of it were true, I’d eat Dad’s old sawhorse.”

“You did eat Dad’s old sawhorse, ‘member? Tuck dared you to do it,” Keter said, laughing and pointing at one of the trolls at the kitchen bar, who grinned. “You won thirty bucks.”

Dobah snickered. “Ha. Oh, yeah.”

Standing behind them at the bar, that also served as a table for the folk that couldn’t sit at the dining table, were five centaurs and two trolls in addition to Tuck. You were surprised to see that they were all wearing holstered sidearms on their waists, including Varik’s sisters. You wondered if that a normal thing they did all the time or if it was extra protection against your pursuer.

The one that caught your eye out of all of them was a clydesdale sized black centaur. His coat was shiny, his tail full, and the hair and skin of his human half was just as black as the rest of him, though his eyes were a soft blue. He was an older gentleman, you could tell by the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, but he was still a creature of beauty.

He clopped up to you and offered you an outstretched hand. “I’m Cole, Varik and the girls’ stepdad,” He said. “We’re glad to have you here, Elena, though I wish it were under happier circumstances.”

You took his hand and he shook it. “Thank you very much,” You replied. “I really appreciate this.”

Varik must have warned them about your disability over the phone; no one was reacting to your hands or face the way people usually did.

Varik stepped up and gave his stepdad a tight hug, which Cole returned with a few hard, fatherly smacks to the shoulder.

“Thank you guys for agreeing to this short notice,” Varik said as he released Cole. “I had to get her somewhere I knew she’d be safe. This ranch is the safest place I know of.”

“Damn straight, it is,” Gruna said. “That fool would have to be crazy to come here. The centaur line alone is enough to trample him into bits.” She turned to you and patted your back with enough force that you stumbled a bit.

There was already a place set for both you and Varik at the table, and you sat down between him and Keter. You told her you admired her hair, and she said she’d do yours, too, if you wanted.

Dinner was a casserole of sorts, and you thought it was delicious despite not knowing exactly what was in it. They didn’t offer to help you feed yourself, apparently warned against it, but you could tell they were watching you maneuver the fork in your hands with a covert fascination.

As Varik said, Charna heaped two helpings on your plate and finished it off with a gigantic slice of strawberry pound cake. It was amazing, but you couldn’t eat more than a quarter of it. Varik wolfed down the rest with a smile.

“Well, I’m getting to bed,” Charna said when dinner was done, hooking her arm with Cole’s. “Gotta be up with the chickens. Varik, your old room is ready, so you and Elena can go up anytime.”

You blushed and Varik paled. “Oh, Ma, we don’t--”

Charna chuckled at the two of you. “I ain’t all that old fashioned, no matter what this one says,” She said, jerking her thumb at Varik. “There ain’t nothing wrong with lovers sharin’ a bed. Keter and Tuck have had the same room forever. You’re both adults. You’ll manage.”

You exchanged a look with Varik in discomfort. The girls were giggling at you.

Cole and Charna went off to their bedroom, one of the four that were on the first floor of the house for the centaurs. The field hands went off to do their nightly chores and the three sisters scattered to do their own thing for the evening, leaving you and Varik alone.

He cleared his throat nervously. “Well… um… we should probably go ahead and set up your monitoring equipment while we’ve got a spare minute.”

You nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go.”

Swallowing, he picked up your bags and carried them upstairs with you following him. His room was pretty large with a California king bed as the centerpiece. There was a sizable closet and a private bathroom. It had pictures and relics from his childhood everywhere. It was rather warm and cozy compared to your bare, sterile apartment.

On his night table, there was a picture of him and an orcish man who could only have been his father: Varik was the spitting image of him. You picked it up and looked at it. Varik was young in it, probably no more than ten. You’d never seen such a happy look on his face.

“He died when I was fifteen,” Varik said, coming up behind you and putting his hands on your shoulders. “Combine accident. We called for help, but it took nearly two hours for the paramedics to get all the way out here. By then…”

He sighed, pressing his nose into your hair. “It’s part of why I wanted to be a doctor. I know it wouldn’t have helped him, but I just got the idea stuck in my head and now it won’t come out. Getting caught up in a dream you’ll never be able to realize can be rather soul crushing. Maybe I should have taken Mom’s advice and stayed on the ranch. At least they appreciate me here.”

“I’m so sorry, Varik,” You said. “I wish things were different for you.”

He wrapped you up in his arms from behind. “Don’t worry about it, honey.” He stepped back and rubbed your arms. “Let’s get set up.”

Turning, he took both the mattress and box-springs off of the bedframe and laid them on the floor without effort. He then dismantled the bedframe and stored it in his closet so that it wouldn’t take up space.

“What side do you want, babe?” He asked as he moved the bedside table to the head of the bed and set up the motion monitor.

“I’m not picky,” You say. “I’m used to sleeping on a twin bed or a single. This is a huge step up.”

He smirked and put the sensor pad under the left side and pushed the fitted sheet back down around the sides of the mattress.

“Are you tired?” He asked, sitting on the edge when he was done. “It’s been a hell of a day.”

“Yeah, I am,” You admitted. “But I want to take a shower first.”

“Sure,” He said. “There should be fresh towels in the bathroom.”

Taking your toiletries and a nightgown, you went into the bath and gaped at the size of everything. The shower could fit both you and Varik in it quite comfortably. You were suddenly bombarded with images of what the skin of his back would look like with water running down it, his hair loose and dripping, but you hastily shoved that thought out of your brain.

You quickly scrubbed down and washed your hair, which was something you had to do delicately to avoid snagging your useless fingers in the tangles. That was always painful. Once done, you toweled off and slipped into your sleepwear.

You came out to find Varik propped up on pillows, playing a video game. He paused it when you came out.

“No trouble?” He asked.

“Nope,” You said. “Pretty straightforward, even if everything is twice the size that I’m used to.”

He laughed. “Yeah, this place wasn’t built for humans, that’s for sure.”

You felt a little shy, but you asked, “Can you do me a favor?”

He sat up a little at that; you weren’t the type to ask for favors. “Yeah, of course. Anything.”

You held up your hairbrush. “Can you brush out my hair for me? It’s hard for me to do it when it’s wet. I can’t grip it.”

“Yeah, no problem,” He said. He sat back on the bed with his legs set wide. “Come sit with me.”

The skin on your back tingled slightly, but you crawled onto the bed and sat with your back to his front. He took the brush and carefully separated your hair into bunches, gently combing the tangles out.

His fingers tenderly grazed against the skin of your neck as he brushed down your head and back, and perhaps you were imagining it, but it felt as though he was lingering longer than he needed to. Your eyes closed involuntarily as each touch sent shivers along your scalp and into your brain. Whenever he lifted your hair, you could feel his knuckles on the base of your neck, feather soft, and you bit your lip.

He continued to brush long after you hair had dried, and you were unable to feel anything but the steady, gentle stokes and the warm pressure of his hands against you.

Bending close, he murmured in your ear, “Would you like me to braid it for you?”

“Mm-hmm,” was all you could manage to say.

He reaching into the drawer of his bedside table and pulled out a leather bag full of beads. Some were silver, some gold, some colored glass, a few may even have been real jewels, all shimmering and beautiful.

“Oh…” You breathed.

“These will look gorgeous with your hair color,” He whispered, stroking the part of your spine just under your neck, making a shiver shake your shoulders. He chuckled.

He worked carefully, never snagging or pulling your hair, plaiting small braids with the beads and then intricately weaving a larger braid, tight and immaculate, down your back. When he was done, he pulled your round desk mirror out of your bag and held it up for you to see.

“Oh, my goodness, Varik!” You exclaimed. You’d never had your hair done up before, mostly because you didn’t want people to see the scars on your face, but the work he had done made you look nothing short of elegant. The beads sparkled around your head and glinted as you turned your chin this way and that. “Varik, it’s so beautiful. Thank you, I love it.”

“Good,” He hummed in a low, seductive voice. “You look like a queen.”

With the mirror, you saw him bend his head to your neck and flick his tongue out, running it up and over your earlobe, then pull his tongue back to suck and nibble on it. You gasped.

“Varik,” You choked out as his hands rubbed themselves up your sides. “I need to tell you something.”

“Oh?” He said, pulling you closer against him. “What’s that?”

“Do you remember that date we had in the hospital?”

“Yeah, of course, our first date,” He said, pulling back  and looking at you with fond recollection.

Well… it was more than that. It was _my_ first date. Ever, with anyone.”

“You had never been on a date before then?”

You shook your head.

Realization dawned on his face. “So… you’ve never… been with anyone before. Sexually.”

“No,” You said bashfully.

“Hmm,” he said thoughtfully, his gaze brushing over you. “So you mean no one’s ever done this before?”

As you watched through the mirror, he put his mouth over your collarbone, teeth pressing gently into the skin, and sucked.

“ _Ah!_ No, no, no one has,” You said breathlessly.

“What about this?” He moved his hands to the fabric over your breasts, his thumbs caressing your nipples, raising them to peaks, a solid but sweet pressure kneading you softly.

“Mmm… no…” You said, laying the back of your head against his chest.

“How about this?” He moved his fingers down the front of your nightgown, pulling the fabric up around your hips, delighted to find you had foregone wearing underwear. With his left hand, he held the mirror out in front of you at bed level so that you could see what he was doing, and with the fingers of his right hand, he stroked the glistening folds of skin where your legs met.

Your breath caught in your throat and your brow furrowed at the sensation. It sent a shock through your entire body and made you arch against him involuntarily, your toes curling.

“No one’s ever touched you there?” He said, purring.  

“No,” You panted. “Not even me. My fingers aren’t able to do that.”

He pulled back a little. “So you’ve never had an orgasm? That’s a damn shame.”

“No, I have,” You said, blushing and a little embarrassed. “I just… do it differently.”

“...oh, this I have to see,” He said, letting go and leaning back.

“Well…” You said, turning to face him and perching on your knees. “I need a pillow.”

With a look of deep curiosity on his face, he reached behind him and grabbed one of the thick, decorative cushions, offering it to you.

“Put it here,” You told him, pointing underneath where you knelt in front of him. He wedged it between your thighs and you settled yourself on to it, placing your hands on his chest for balance. You lifted your nightdress and rolled it under your breasts so he could see your bottom half at work.

“Kiss me,” you told him, and he was happy to oblige, his hands on your waist. The kiss was deep and probing, and after a few moments, your hips began to move, the bundle of nerves at the apex of your thighs rubbing against the soft cotton of the pillow. He broke away from the kiss when he felt the movement and looked down, watching you thrust back and forth against the pillow with great interest. His hands slipped down to rest on your hips to push and pull you gently as you moved. The pressure of his hands, as well as how sensitive you were from his touch before, meant you were already very close to your breaking point.

He watched you hungrily, staring at your core moving against the pillow, as you began to moan and gasp, thrusting faster, the sweet warmth building and building in you. He whispered your name and his hips began to roll against the air, as if trying to meet yours, and it spurred you to move at greater speed. After three or four sharp, hard thrusts against the pillow, the wave of bliss hit you like a brick wall and you cried out, muted against his shirt. You continued to rock back and forth slowly as the orgasm ebbed, squeezing out every drop of pleasure you could, until you slowed to a stop, pressed against him, chest heaving.

“Ingenious,” He said a little proudly, his hands stroking you. “Is there no end to your inventiveness?”

You laughed a little. “When you’re desperate, you find a way.”

He shifted his hips to catch your eye, and you could see a bulge quite clearly pressing against his jeans. “I hope I can compete with your ingenuity,” he said

“You’d better,” You replied playfully, grinning up at him.

In a flash, he had laid you underneath him on the bed, kicking everything out of his way. He made short work of his clothing, kneeling between your open legs. His body was incredible, all hard muscle and gorgeousness. You were a little scared to see what he was packing in his pants, having heard some horror stories about orc men so large that they literally couldn’t fit into most human women or other beings of comparable size. However, though it was definitely a good size, it wasn’t the gigantic orifice destroyer you were expecting. You breathed a sigh of relief.

He reached to pull off your nightgown, and you stopped him, feeling apprehensive. He’d seen the little scars on your arms and face, but not the big one on your chest and back. You were scared what his reaction would be and stared up at him, breathing hard and terrified.

He had the softest, most loving look on his face as he gently moved your hands away and lifted the fabric over your head. You felt a bit like crying. No one had ever seen this part of your body before other than your doctors. To you, revealing yourself to him like this was more intimate than showing him how you pleasured yourself.

He touched his fingers gingerly on the shiny burn, tracing the line of it on your chest and over your shoulder.

“You are so beautiful, sweetheart,” He whispered.

You did cry then, chin trembling, breath catching, tears cascading down the side of your face an into your perfectly braided hair. He kissed your eyelids, one after the other, and bent to dust kisses across the scars on your chest, up your throat, then back up to your lips, using his tongue to open them and swirl around inside your mouth.

It sent a shock across your skin, electrifying your limbs. You reached for him, grabbing him desperately, suddenly unable to wait anymore.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He kissed his way down your body and lifted your thighs wide open with his thumbs, pressing his lips to your lower ones. His tongue teased inside you, poking in just slightly and drawing back out again, lifting to flick at the bud under it’s hood. The thrill of it made your nerves feel like they were exploding, and you moaned loudly. How long he did this, you couldn’t have guessed; you had lost all sense of time.

Then he raised up on his knees and lined himself up at your entrance. He was careful, so extremely careful, as he pressed himself to your opening, gauging your reaction as he did so. He slicked himself in your fluids for a moment before applying pressure, slowly inserting the tip, then lay his body over your own. You grunted against his mouth when you felt it pop in, urging him to go further. You definitely felt a pinch as he slowly pushed himself into you, but after his touch from earlier readied you, your body had opened to him and you took him into yourself with minimal discomfort.

He stopped halfway in and pulled back, working your body’s natural lubrication over his length with calculated movement. After a first few tentative thrusts, he buried himself to the hilt and stilled, looking down at you in concern.

“Are you okay?” He asked in a huff. “Pain?”

“No,” You said. “Just pressure. It doesn’t hurt.”

“You’ll tell me if I hurt you, won’t you?”

“Yes, I will, I promise,” You assured him, pushing your hips up to meet his in an effort to get him moving. He did move, thrusting in and out in a way that made your eyes roll back in your head and silenced you.

“Stay with me, angel,” He murmured into your hair, pulling himself along your body as he moved inside you. “Talk to me. Tell me what your feeling.”

“I feel good,” You said, your arms squeezing him tightly to you. “It feels amazing. You’re so good at this. Lots of practice?”

He snickered. “Not all that much, honestly. But I did date a sex-ed teacher once. She learned me right, I can tell you that.”

You giggled.”Remind me to send her a gift basket.”

He gave a full-throated laugh at that. It made him pulse and twitch inside you, and your muscles tightened around him, making him gasp.

He sped up then, and you gripped him tight. He grunted with his lips and nose pressed against the hollow of your neck, nipping at the skin and sucking gently. Your moans came in short, punctuated pants as he slammed into you, both of your bodies moving in time with each other, your vocalizations harmonizing as you grew closer to the point of ecstasy together.

He pressed himself deeply into you, rubbing against the pearl of your body as he released into you, causing you to cry out over and over as you achieved your own satisfaction, heedless of who heard you in that moment. He, too, grunted and sighed as his warmth poured into you, gushing out of him like a fountain.

Finally spent, he collapsed, and you had to poke him a bit to stop him from crushing you. As it was, he was only able to slide sideways slightly before crumpling, half laying on you and half on the bed.

After… oh, who knows how long, you and Varik managed to disentangled yourselves from each other and went to the bathroom to clean up. You had been right, you’d both fit in the shower with room to spare, and he did look like a god with the water dripping from his body. There was a lot to admire, and he did his fair share of admiring you back.


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Russel shows up at the ranch and attempts to abduct Elena. Final chapter.

You came down for breakfast the next morning, arm in arm with Varik, happy and well rested. The girls at the table noticed your intricate braid, beaded and elegant, as well as what seemed to be a glow radiating from you, and heckled Varik relentlessly. They eased up when their mother glared at them and snapped her jaws.

“I have to say, sugar, we were so happy to meet you at last,” Charna said over an absolutely enormous breakfast of eggs, grits, toast, potatoes, bacon, ham, pancakes, scones, and sausage.

“What do you mean ‘at last,’ Ma?” Varik said. “We’ve only been dating for about a month.”

“Plenty of time to bring her to meet your mama, Varik,” Charna said, waving her fork in Varik’s direction. “She’s my only hope for grandbabies. I mean, it’s just my luck that all your sisters turned out to like girls. Hell, at this point,  I’d be ecstatic if Elena were already pregnant.”

“ _Ma!_ ” Varik shouted with obvious discomfort. Cole and the other centaurs snickered.

Keter was equally as exasperated. “Ma, Me and Dinae are bisexuals,” Keter said, rolling her eyes. “And I’ve been dating Tuck for two years,” Pointing at the troll who stood over her, picking potatoes off her plate. “Who is male, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

Charna waved this away. “You know as well as I do that it’s nearly impossible for orcs and trolls to conceive, despite how similar our genetics are.”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t adopt, Ma,” She insisted.

“Even still,” Charna sniffed. “At my age, when you have grown kids and no grandbabies, the other ladies at the synagogue turn up their noses at you.”

“Ma, you never go to the temple socials, and you hate those people,” Gruna said dryly.

“Don’t sass your mother,” Charna said, her eyes narrowed at her youngest daughter. “All I’m saying is, if I die without at least one grandchild running around this ranch, I’m haunting all of you forever.”

You watched them interacting with each other, smiling with amusement, but you couldn’t deny the a pang of regret and heartache. It brought back distant memories of your own lost family, how you used to bicker with your brothers, how your mom delighted in embarrassing you, how your father just laughed at it all. It brought back a pain that you thought you’d locked away a long time ago. As much as you loved seeing them tease and goad each other, behaving as a close, loving family, it hurt. A lot.

Varik seemed to notice. He bent low and whispered in your ear: “Are you okay? You look sad.”

You turned and smiled at him. “I’m alright,” You insisted, stuffing your face with eggs.

Later, after some vigorous, enthusiastic lovemaking, he got you a glass of water so you could take your evening meds and helped you with the injectable one. When you were snuggling up close to him in bed for sleep, he asked: “You seemed upset this morning at breakfast. What was wrong? Are you worried about Russel?”

“No, it’s not that,” You said truthfully. “Believe it or not, I haven’t even thought of him since I got here. I feel safer here than I’ve ever felt anywhere.”

“So what was the matter?”

“It’s just…” You sighed against his bare chest, breathing in the smell of his skin. “Seeing you and your family together… it reminded me of my own. I remember bickering with Egil about sharing his toys with Erik. My mom making sure I ate everything she put on my plate. My dad sitting me in his lap when I was unhappy and just talking to me until I felt better. I’d locked it away in my memories because of how much pain it caused to remember it, but watching your family brought it all back. It… hurt.”

He squeezed you. “Was it a mistake to come here?”

“No,” You said, looking up at him. “To be honest with you, I actually really like it here. I like your family very much, and I’m happy that they like me.” You sighed. “I haven’t really let myself deal with my family’s death. We spent so much time focusing on my physical injuries and my epilepsy and keeping me safe from Russel that finding a way to move on sort of got pushed to the back burner. I’ve never really… grieved. I need to let myself be sad about it. It’s the only thing that will help.”

“So, you want to stay here with my crazy family, then? Do you think that would help, too?” He asked, smiling at you sweetly.

You nodded. “Yeah. They’re my favorite kind of crazy.”

He laughed into your hair. Reaching up, he turned on the motion monitor, and then cuddled you close to his side. Within a few minutes, you were both sleeping soundly.

You’d been on the ranch for a week, and it had been the happiest week of your life. All of the field hands were polite and respectful with you, despite being rather rough and rowdy with each other. Cole was a very sweet guy who always had an open ear, and despite Varik’s warnings about his sisters, they took to you immediately and were happy to spend time with you.

Charna was the best of all. She was very cuddly, just like Varik, and taught you how to cook things that were within the range of your mobility. When you insisted that you pull your weight while staying, instead of telling you that you needn’t worry about it because you were a guest like Cole and Varik did, she put you in charge of feeding the chickens and collecting their eggs in the morning, sorting between the fertilized and unfertilized ones. She understood your desire to feel useful.

A time or two, you’d had a clonic seizure, and they were all right there, hovering in case you needed them but not panicking or interfering, offering you water and a pat on the shoulder when you came out of it. It was really comforting to have so much support around you for the first time since your were a child. It made you very emotional at times, but you waited until evenings to actually cry about it.

Varik understood and held you, and then talked it out with you afterward. His support meant more to you than anything. You just wished you could do something for him in return. Well, except the nightly love-making sessions, which were incredible but not exactly repayment since you were both getting quite a lot out of it.

One evening as Varik was rebraiding your hair, which had become a nightly ritual, you asked him: “Did you really quit the hospital?”

“Sure did,” He said. “I called and quit the day after we got here, while you were still sleeping.” He snorted derisively. “I offered to give them notice, but they were more than happy I was leaving. They said they’d even give me a severance package as long as it meant I never came back. I told them not to bother.”

You grimaced. “Will you… be okay?” You asked.

“You mean, as far as money? Yeah, for a while. I’ve been pretty thrifty and saved most of my income for the last five years. I can live off of what I’ve got saved up for a year, if I’m careful. Longer, if I stay on the ranch.”

“About that…” You began. “I know you’re very close to your family and I understand that you want to stay with them, but…” You swallowed hard, preparing for what you were about to say, hoping he’d understand. “After this business with Russel is over, I’m going back to the city.”

His hands stilled in your hair.

“I do love it here, and I love your family, but I have a good job in the city, one that works with my disabilities and allows me to take care of myself. It lets me be self-sufficient, and you know how important that is to me.”

“Yes, I do,” he said. His voice was hard to read, and you couldn’t see his face, so you didn’t know what his reaction was.

“Do you understand what I’m trying to say?” You asked him, unable to turn and look at him for fear of what you might see.

“I… I think so?” He said uncertainly. “You’re saying that once this is over, we should break up.”

Your heart lurched in horror. He’d completely misunderstood. “No, Varik, I’m saying when this is over, I want you to come with me.”

He turned you so he could look at you in the eye. The look of shock and awe on his face would be almost comical if it wasn’t heartbreaking. “Are you serious?”

“Yes,” You said. “I know you’d like to stay close to your family, but I think there would be more opportunity for you in the city. The attitude toward orcs isn’t as backward as it is in the smaller towns and I think you would really--”

He grabbed you up in a bone-crushing hug. “Yes! Yes, I would love to go with you!”

“You would?” You said, your heart leaping. “Really?”

“Of course!” He replied, kissing you over and over. “I want to be where you are. Now that I’ve quit, there’s nothing tying me to that town. I’ll miss my family, but I can visit them whenever I like, and you can come with me.”

“Will your mom and the others be mad if you move far away?”

“Ma might be a little miffed, but she loves you and she wants me to be happy. She’ll support us, no matter what.”

“We’ll have to find a bigger apartment,” You said, giggling. “My old one will be too small for you.”

“I’d sleep in a box if it meant staying with you,” He said, kissing your face. “I love you, Elena.”

“I love you, Varik,” You replied. “I’m so--”

Shouting from outside caught your attention. Letting go of your braid half-finished, Varik stood and went to the window, gasping.

“What is it?” You asked.

“The hay barn is on fire,” He said, pulling his pants back on.

You felt like you’d swallowed a living coal. “Russel.”

“Stay here,” Varik said, pulling a loaded Ruger Redhawk from his dresser.

“But Varik--”

“Stay here!” He said, rushing out of the door.

You got up from the bed and looked out the window to see everyone except for Charna heading toward the blazing barn. It was completely engulfed in flames. There wasn’t much they could do except get the animals out of harm’s way and make sure the fire didn’t spread to the other buildings. You could see, even in the low light, that they were all still armed. That, at least, gave you some comfort.

Until you heard a shot and a cry come from downstairs.

“Charna!” You screamed, flying down the stairs. Charna was on the ground in the kitchen, her sidearm gone, gut-shot but alive. As you rushed forward toward her, she gasped, her eyes widening at something behind you.

You felt someone yank your braid, throwing you to the floor and you cried out as your head hit the ground. Looking up, you saw someone standing above you, the face that haunted your nightmares.

“Russel…” You said in terror.

“Hello again,” He said with a sneer.

“Don’t you touch her, you son of a bitch!” Charna screamed at him, blood pouring out from around her hands where she held her stomach.

He laughed harshly, grabbing you up by your collar, snagging your hair painfully as he did so.

“ _Varik!_ ” You screamed, trying to break his grip, but your hands were just as useless as they always were.

“Oh, they aren’t going to hear you, sweetheart,” Russel said. “The roar of the fire is pretty deafening. By the time they realize what’s happened, you and I will be long gone.”

He jerked you to your feet and marched you to the back door, but stopped short. There was a solid wall of people standing there, trolls, centaurs, and orcs, guns drawn and point right at Russel. He pulled you in front of him and put Charna’s gun to your head. You saw Varik at the front of the line, snarling with rage, his gun pointed right at Russel’s face.

“Stay calm, Elena,” Varik said.

You were too numb to react any other way. Breathing heavily with Russel’s arm pressed against your throat, you nodded.

“You’re not getting out of here,” Cole said to Russel, his rifle raised and completely steady. “Put the gun down.”

“I’m taking her with me,” Russel said. “I’m going to finish what I started. You try to stop me, and I’ll shoot her right in front of you.”

Varik growled. “You’re not going anywhere with her.”

“I think otherwise,” He began to move toward the steps on the far side of the porch. They had their guns trained on him, but with him using you as a shield, there wasn’t much they could do.

“They’ll find you,” You gasped at Russel as he made slow progress toward the waiting truck. “Even if you kill me, they’ll find you. You’ll never get out of prison.”

“You think that’ll stop me?” Russel asked, shaking you a little. “I’ll keep coming back. I’ll never quit hunting rats like you. Your life belongs to me, just like every miserable piece of shit I killed before you.” He slipped down onto the first step toward the truck.

“Stop!” Varik yelled, starting up the porch.

“ _Ah!_ ” Russel said, sending a shot just past your nose and into the wood of the house. “Don’t you do it.” He spat at Varik. “I’ll kill her, and then all of you. Maybe I’ll come back and burn this shack to the ground when I’m done with her. Should be good for a laugh, all you orc pigs screaming from the inside--”

Three shots rang out behind you, and you screamed, falling forward. Varik dropped his gun and caught you before you hit the ground.

You looked back, and saw Russel lying on the porch, bleeding from his head, eyes open and unseeing. Behind him, Charna was leaning against the side of the house with a smoking .22 Smith & Wesson in her white-knuckled grip, pulled from an ankle holster. She must have come from the front door and snuck around the wrap-around porch behind you and Russel. Cole rushed forward and caught her as she slid down the wall.

“Elena, are you--” Varik began, but you stopped him.

“I’m fine, help your mom,” You told him.

He nodded at you grimly, stepping passed you and kneeling by his mother.

Dobah was on the phone calling for the police, and you asked Keter to call Karen. The field hands went back out to contain the fire, leaving you, Cole, Gruna, Charna, and Varik on the porch.

“ _Charna,_ ” You said, crying. She reached out and took your hand.

“I’m alright, baby girl,” She said, straining a bit. She reached out with her other hand to touch her only son’s face. Tears slid down his cheeks unimpeded as he clutched a torn piece of his night shirt to his mother’s stomach.

“I don’t think the bullet hit anything vital,” He said thickly. “But I don’t know because I’m not a fucking _doctor!_ ”

Cole laid a hand on Varik’s shoulder. “She’s gonna be alright, son. She’s tougher’n an orge in dragon hide, you know that.”

It did take a long time for the police and paramedics to get out to the ranch, but when they loaded Charna up into an ambulance and took Russel’s body away, the workers had managed to get the fire out.

Varik hooked up the horse trailer to his truck so that he could take Cole to the hospital with him. As Cole loaded up, Varik turned to you.

“You should stay here and rest,” He said.

You shook your head. “No, Varik, I want to be there for Charna. She saved my life. She freed me.”

He considered you for a second and nodded. “But you take it easy, okay? The first hint that your could be having an episode, you rest. Promise me.”

“I will, I promise.”

He wrapped his arms around you and held you so tightly that you couldn’t move.

“I thought I was going to lose two of the people I love most tonight,” He whispered, his voice rough with emotion. “I never want to go through that again.”

“You won’t, Varik,” You told him gently, tears streaming down your face. “Russel’s gone. It’s finally over.”

Charna recovered much faster than anyone had anticipated, including her doctors. She was back on the ranch in two weeks with strict instructions to rest for a while, an order her daughters insured she followed.

You decided to stay at the ranch until she was back on her feet. You and Varik had sat down with the family and explained that he was moving with you to the city. Charna cried, but understood. She knew Varik was being held back living here and that he was always meant for more than being a rancher, and while she would miss him, she knew she couldn’t hold onto him forever. She said she was happy that he would be with someone she knew would look after him in the city. You promised her you would, and she gave you her blessing.

Six weeks later, you and Varik were unpacking in your new apartment. It was vastly larger than your old one, but you had never been one for possessions, so you really hadn’t needed a big place. Now with Russel gone and Varik by your side, you finally felt like you were starting your life over, and you wanted all the trappings that went with it.

“I’ll start applying at hospitals and clinics tomorrow,” He said. “I want to start working as soon as I can. I don’t know what to do with myself if I’m not working.”

“You could lavish attention on me,” you said, wrapping your arms around his waist.

“Well, I’m always happy to do that,” He said, grinning. “But I can’t do that when you’re working. One of us has to earn a living, though I’d prefer if it were both of us.”

“I suppose,” you said playfully. You gave him a quick kiss and pushed off, unpacking your computer. “Tomorrow I’m going to the hospital to get my monthly check-up and I’m going to see Will. Would you like to come and meet him?”

“I’d love to,” He said, smiling brightly.

The next day, he went with you to the hospital and sat with you during the check-up, and then followed you up to Dr. Stucker’s office. You had to wait for a few moments, as he was in a conference. You were so nervous, but you had to be careful. You didn’t want Varik picking up on it.

“He’ll see you now,” Will’s receptionist said with a wink.

“Thanks, Madge,” You said, stepping inside.

Will looked up from his desk with a smile. He was getting up in years; his hair and beard were completely white and the wrinkles around his eyes were more prominent. Standing, he circled the desk and opened his arms to you. “Elena!”

“Hey, Will,” You said, stepping into his embrace.

He gripped to briefly by tightly, holding you by your shoulders after he released you. “How’re you holding up, kiddo? I’m so glad this awful business has been put to rest.”

“I’m good, Will, really good.” You stepped back and pulled Varik forward. “I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Varik.”

“Ah, is this the young man you’ve told me so much about?” Will said with a smirk.

“Yes sir,” Varik said, extending his hand. “It’s a privilege to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Will said, taking Varik’s hand and shaking it firmly. “How are you liking city life?”

“I’ve only been here a few days, but it’s treating me good, so far,” Varik replied.

Will nodded. “Please sit,” He said, motioning for the chairs in front of the desk.

“Now,” Will began. “Have you found work yet?”

“Uh, no, sir,” Varik said. “But I’m applying at every medical facility within a twenty mile radius. Hopefully I’ll pick up something soon.”

“Have you considered applying at this hospital?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s good,” Will said, pulling a file to him and opening it. “I do some of the hiring for my department. Elena has done me the favor of forwarding your resume. Field medic, were you?”

“Y-yes, sir,” Varik said, looking at you oddly. It was all you could do to suppress your smile and fix him with an innocent gaze.

“Good record at the last places you worked, I see,” Will said contemplatively, looking over the paperwork. “Got a few complaints, but from reading them, they seem to be bigoted nonsense.”

Varik grimaced but didn’t seem surprised.

“I see your family owns a ranch, so no stranger to hard work, are you, son?” Will asked, looking over the rim of his glasses at Varik.

“Uh… no, sir,” Varik replied. You could feel his growing confusion.

“Hmm,” Will mused, closing the folder. “I think you were absolutely right, Elena. He’d be perfect.”

“I told you,” you replied smugly.

“I’m sorry,” Varik said, his brow furrowed. “I don’t understand what’s happening right now. Is this a job interview?”

Will chuckled. “In a sense,” He said vaguely. “You see, young man, several years ago I helped create a foundation that offers scholarships at the neighboring medical school to people who might not otherwise have such an opportunity, be it because of money or circumstance, or,” He coughed delicately. “Racial bias. We’re in the process of reviewing applicants for the new semester. Your name is in the running for consideration.”

Varik gaped at him. You hid your wide, excited smile behind your fists. Varik looked from you to Will and back again, uncomprehending.

“But I didn’t submit my name,” He said weakly.

“I did,” You told him, and he fixed you with a shocked expression. “That day in the cafeteria, the first time we had a real conversation and you told me about your dream, I told Will. He got your transcripts from your last college and from the army, as well as your work history from your previous clinics.”

Varik seemed unable to breathe. “But I… I never filled out an application. I’ll do that now, if you need me to.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Will said with a smile. “This is your entrance interview.”

Pure, raw hope filled Varik’s face. “You mean, I…”

“You’re in,” Will said, beaming at Varik. “Welcome to medical school, son.”

Varik covered his face in his hands, choking on his own breath, unable to speak. You stood and wrapped your arms around his shaking shoulders.

“You deserve this, honey,” You whispered to him. “This and so much more. I can’t wait to see what you become now that you’ve been given a chance.”

Varik stood abruptly and and hugged you breathless, then turned and shook Will’s hand vigorously.

“Thank you, sir!” He cried, overcome. “Thank you! You don’t know what this means to me.”

“I have an idea,” Will said, massaging his arm. “But you have to make me a promise, son.”

“Anything, sir,” Varik said without hesitation.

Will held up is forefinger and pointed it at Varik sternly. “Work hard, take your education seriously, and,” He moved his finger to point at you. “Look after this one, eh? She’s rather important to me.”

“Yes, sir,”Varik said, wiping his face, smiling shakily. “She’s pretty important to me, too.”  

The second the door closed to your apartment, he was on you: all hands and mouth and tongue. You giggled and let him explore you, lifting you and placing you on the bed. He pulled off your clothes and paid reverent attention to your body, kissing and sucking in all the right places.

Before he could get too involved, and before you lost your ability to form words, you pulled him up to face you.

“Are you happy?” You asked him.

“ _Happy_ doesn’t begin to describe what I feel right now,” He said, looking at you with such a loving gaze that it made your heart hurt a little.

“You’re not gonna drop me when you become a big, important doctor, are you?” You asked him playfully.

He growled at you. “Are you insane? There is nothing you can do to get rid of me now. You’re stuck with me forever.”

You laughed. “I think I can live with that.”

His face became serious. “I mean it, Elena. I owe you everything. There’s nothing I can do to repay you for what you’ve done for me.”

You thought about it, smirking. “You could marry me.”

A slow grin split the features of his face. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

You laughed at him. “You mother would legitimately murder us if we eloped.”

“Yeah, but I think she’d forgive us if we gave her those grandkids she keeps harping on about.” He kissed you and petted his hands down your body. “Let’s get started making them.”

You giggled at him, but sobered. “I’ve been alone for so long. I think I’ve forgotten how to be a part of a family.”

“You’re not alone anymore, sweetheart,” He said, kissing your ear. “You’ve got me now. And Ma, Cole, my sisters, the boys on the ranch. We all care about you. We’re your family and we will always be there.” He kissed his way down your belly. “And I’m looking forward to starting our own little family, too.”

You smiled. “Let’s see about getting you through your first year at medical school, then we can talk about babies.”

He groaned unhappily. “Fine, fine. I’ll let you tell my mom that.”

“I think she’ll be fine with it. She likes me more than you, anyway.”

He bit your hip, growling playfully, and you shrieked. After tickling you until you couldn’t breathe, he set himself to worshiping your body, telling you how beautiful you were. You didn’t believe him yet, but you were working on it.

Before you met Varik, there were a lot of things you didn’t believe. You never could have believed someone could look at you and think you were lovely. You never believed anyone could fall in love with you or want to marry you and have children with you. You never believed you’d be free to live the life you wanted without constantly looking over your shoulder for a demon from your past. Yet, here you were, with all those things.

You never believed in miracles before, but you were starting to.


End file.
